Trinamool leader held for brandishing gun in WB

Kolkata: A local Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Ashish Dey, who was caught on camera threatening the staff of a private hospital at gun point, has been arrested by the West Bengal police on Monday.

A local court here sent Dey to a five-day police custody.

According to reports, Dey had on Friday threatened the staff of a private hospital in Birbhum since he was upset with the appointment of a doctor there.

Eyewitnesses claim that Dey was allegedly angry with the development and came to the hospital accompanied by TMC workers and student-wing activists to threaten the staff there.

Dey, who is the TMC`s district secretary, was carrying a gun and caught on CCTV threatening hospital managing director JP Khaitan following a verbal spat.

Khaitan later told reporters that Dey first entered in a verbal duel with the hospital employees, who repeatedly pleaded with him and his supporters to leave the hospital premises.
"Dey then suddenly whipped out a revolver and threatened our staff,” he added.

"Expressing shock over the `incident`, TMC MP Shatabdi Roy said, "Ashish Dey is no more with our party. He was suspended a couple of years back."

When quizzed whether some TMC leaders were still aiding him, Roy said "This man is damaging the image of TMC. I would request everyone belonging to our organisation not to associate with such a person."
"Dey was suspended from the party by General Secretary Mukul Roy a couple of years back,” the TMC MP said.

Meanwhile, Dey rejected all allegations against him.

News agency ANI quoted him as saying, “I have been falsely implicated, I trust the judiciary, local MLA is mad.”